RENEW

He renews my life, He leads me along the right paths for His Name’s sake. — Psalm 23:3 (CSB)

Have you felt the need to be renewed? The older I get, the more often I feel the need for renewal - normally shortly after I start running. We are in constant need of renewal; this is how God created us. We need sleep each night. Our bodies are not designed to sleep for 20 hours and then be awake and alert for the next 70. We need some sleep each day. The same goes for food and water. We do not just eat a large amount of food on the first of the month and then wait until the next month before we eat again. I know there are some crazy intermittent fasting diets out there, but that would be a little extreme. God designed us to function best when we eat moderate amounts of food each day. When we eat we are renewed until our next meal. This is why when Jesus taught His disciples how to pray, He instructed them to ask for daily bread. We are dependent on daily sustenance. 

More important than physical renewal, we need spiritual renewal. This is why Jesus stated that we do not live on bread alone but on every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Matt. 4:4; Deut. 8:3). True renewal comes through the Lord and His Word, as David writes in Psalm 19: 

The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; — Psalm 19:7

God’s Word is perfect; it truly revives the soul. The Lord is our Shepherd, and He cares for our souls. It is only through Him that we actually have spiritual life. Not only does He give us this life, but He continually renews our lives when we are feeling down or distressed. 

Not only does the Lord renew our lives, but He also leads us in the right paths. David knew that the Lord wanted to lead him in the right way. Jesus is our Good Shepherd. He leads us on the right paths. Why do we need leading? Just like sheep, we are prone to wander. We are easily distracted and enamored with things that do not matter. Left to our own senses, we will go the wrong way. Peter knew this as well as anyone. He thought he knew the way to go, and it led him to deny his Lord and Savior. This may have been in Peter’s mind when he wrote: 

For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. — 1 Peter 2:25

The greatest mistake we can make is to think that we do not need Jesus to renew our souls and lead us. We cannot handle things on our own. We can deceive ourselves into thinking we are doing ok, but if we are not following His leading, we will end up wandering away from Him. Not only does He lead us in the right paths, but He does so for His Name’s sake. This should be a great comfort to us. If Jesus led us in the right way only when we were deserving for our own sakes, we would constantly be lost. He loved us first, and He leads us in the right way for our good and His glory. We should be thankful that He does so for His Name’s sake. There is no wavering or variation in His character. He will always lead us on the right path. Follow Him.

I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. — Psalm 16:8-11